Bound (1996)

Directed by the Wachowskis. Starring Jennifer Tilly, Gina Gershon, Joe Pantoliano, Christopher Meloni, John Ryan, Richard C. Sarafian, Ivan Kane, Kevin M. Richardson, Barry Kivel. [R]

Gershon is an ex-con doing renovations at an apartment building, Tilly is her breathy-voiced gangster moll neighbor, their eyes lock in an elevator, and before you know it, they’re in bed together hatching a plot to steal a couple mil from the mob and run away together. A sexy and stylish thriller knocked askew by its offbeat macabre humor and brutal violence, just twisty enough to keep you guessing how it’s all gonna work out, but not so much that it becomes baffling or distractingly contrived. The debuting director siblings work with DP Bill Pope to string together clever camera shots thick with neo-noir atmosphere that strategize space and tighten suspense (and make red blood pop against porcelain white backgrounds); their script may be shallow, but its debts to Wilder and Tarantino (to say nothing for Blood Simple) are closer to loving homage than crass imitation. Well-cast, with the ladies each getting some of the best roles of their careers (and smoldering in each other’s company), and wiseguy boyfriend “Joey Pants” making his wild mood swings both startling and hysterical. Feminist journalist Susie Bright was brought on as a consultant/choreographer for the lesbian sex scenes, and also cameos in the gay bar scene. Ryan’s final film role.

82/100